Springfield Kuna Review: A Roller-Delayed Subgun Powerhouse By: Travis Pike

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My 2025 bingo card didn’t have a new, roller-delayed large-format subgun from Springfield Armory, but here we are. I got my hands on a Springfield Kuna and have put a mortgage payment’s worth of ammo downrange to see if it’s worth the cheddar.

Springfield Armory, the Kuna, and Croatia

Springfield Armory and the Croatian firm H.S. Produkt are seemingly good partners. Some of Springfield’s most popular guns are produced by H.S. Produkt, including the Hellcat, the Hellion, and the Echelon. The Kuna joins these offerings as the first subgun produced by H.S. Produkt to be sold in the United States.

The Kuna’s first claim to fame was its police contract in Brazil, where the federal police adopted the .40 S&W Kuna. Shortly after, Springfield Armory officially announced the larger format version of the Kuna in 9mm for the American market. The Kuna came in fast and hit us with a wave of features and a tough-to-beat price point.

The use of a roller delayed system captured a lot of attention, and for good reason. The alternative is typically straight blowback, and straight blowback guns have more recoil than necessary. A roller-delayed system promises less recoil and an easier-to-handle gun.

We also got all the extra features we expect from a modern gun. Like many modern firearms, the Kuna utilizes a serialized upper, which allows for replaceable lowers. Companies like Nexus have already released new and interesting lowers.

The Kuna uses a proprietary magazine, which could be bad if they took the SIG route and asked for your firstborn to buy one. Instead, Springfield took the CZ route and released affordable magazines that retail at about 20 to 25 dollars. They even feature metal feed lips, which can significantly enhance reliability.

The Kuna is offering a lot, and we are planning to see if it delivers.

The roller delayed system works by using rollers to create friction and to keep the breech from opening before the projectile leaves the barrel. Using a roller delayed design means we don’t need to use the heavy bolts and springs associated with direct blowback systems. For the end user, this results in much less recoil and a less violent recoil impulse.

When you shoot the Kuna side by side with a blowback gun, the difference is immediately noticeable. The Kuna barely moves, and you can watch the red dot bob just a bit between shots. Less recoil means you can get right back on target and shoot faster with a greater degree of control.

The Kuna is a total blast to shoot rapidly. Long strings of fire are easy to control, and you can indulge in the American tradition of mag dumping into trash. Shooting double taps in under half a second is easy to do, and the rounds are less than an inch apart.

Shooting failure to stop drills in under 1.5 seconds won’t be tough, and won’t be out of this realm for most shooters. Super soft recoil and limited muzzle rise gives you hardly any challenge. This makes the Kuna a capable option for self-defense and home defense.

I used a suppressor, and the roller delayed design suppresses brilliantly. There is no gas to your face and no reliability issues or extra recoil.

I zeroed my red dot at 50 yards and shot at ranges less than three yards and out to 100 yards. At 100 yards, hitting IPSC-sized steel consistently didn’t take much effort. The gun’s ergonomics are solid, and it’s comfortable to shoot. I held a little high with my red dot on the neck area of the IPSC target and hit it over and over.

I set up an A-zone-sized rectangle and attempted to place offhand shots into it from the low ready. I tried to go fast, aiming for less than two seconds per shot. I did okay. Of the ten I put six inside the box, but three hit low and one went right. A slower offhand group with a rest put all ten into the A-zone.

Within 50 and 25 yards, the gun dominated. It could hit gongs, clay pigeons on the berm, A-zones, and whatever else I tried to hit. At 15 yards, I could put a handful of rounds inside a two-inch dot with ease. The gun excels in terms of accuracy.

Another factor contributing to the gun’s success was its ergonomic design. The ambidextrous controls are a brilliant touch. The safety, magazine release, and bolt release are all completely ambidextrous. The charging handle isn’t ambidextrous, but it is reversible for left-handed users. The controls are easily accessible and within reach.

The charging handle doesn’t face a ton of resistance when pulled. It’s easy to manipulate, which is another byproduct of the roller delayed blowback system. Oddly, the safety feels stiff. Not difficult, but it takes a real press to move position.

At first, it annoyed me, but on reflection, it made a little more sense. An ambi safety might get caught on a plate carrier or something similar and come off when you want it on. A dedicated press and that loud click are nice to have.

Here’s the big question: Does the Kuna shoot and run reliably? Yes, after several hundred rounds of ammo, I can say the gun is reliable. I ran into problems with one magazine. I performed several reload drills using the same magazine repeatedly.

My range is mostly sand. I live on a Florida sandhill, so it’s basically beach sand. After those reload drills and shooting suppressed, the magazine was filthy, and when shooting, the follower began to fail to rise high enough to feed the gun. I had to tap, rack, and bang every round to shoot. The follower sounds like it was rubbing against sandpaper.

I unloaded the mag, cleaned it out, returned to the range, and boom, it was working again. Keep your mag clean, or don’t play in the sand.

The Kuna impressed me, and the price impressed me even more. The braced variant retails for less than $1,000, and the braceless version costs less than $ 900. That’s affordable for a roller-delayed design, and it even comes with two magazines and an included set of iron sights.

Springfield Kuna Pros and Cons

Report Card
Shootability	The roller-delayed design does a fantastic job of reducing recoil and making the Kuna an easy-to-shoot platform.	A+
Reliability	The gun ran fine, but one mag choked with dirt and debris	B+
Ergonomics	I like the ergonomics for the most part, but I wish the top of the handguard was a little longer for hand placement and accessories.	A-
Accuracy	The Kuna is capable of excellent accuracy for a subgun.	A+
Value	It’s tough to give any gun that costs nearly a grand an A, but we do get a solid value from the Kuna and its roller-delayed design.	B+

Springfield Kuna

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Our Grade

A-

Reviewed by
Travis Pike

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So, you’re planning on picking up a Springfield Kuna? If so, you’re going to need more than just the gun to make it safely go bang. You’re going to need proper protections, extra mags, and something to clean it with at the end of a long day at the range. Here are our recommendations:

• Gun Cleaning Kit: Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box on Amazon or build your own personalized cleaning kit with premium components.
• Shooting Glasses: All it takes is one piece of rogue hot brass, and you’ll learn the importance of shooting glasses. But not all glasses are built the same. See our recommendations for the Best Shooting Glasses.
• Hearing Protection: Firing a gun without wearing proper ear pro can be very dangerous and detrimental to your hearing. Find out the best hearing protection for you in our full-length review.
• Storage: Check out our article on the Best Biometric Gun Safes
• Targets – If you’re wanting a great resource for shooting practice or zeroing your optics on your optics rifle or pistol, download our FREE Sighting in Targets below.

If you’re going to pick up the Springfield Kuna or another pistol that suits you more, you may also want a few accessories to complement your purchase. Here are our picks for some extras;

Springfield Kuna Accessories

1. Surefire Scout Mini Pro		500 Lumens M-LOK Mount Clicky Tail Cap	See Pricing
2. Holosun AEMS		Multireticle Solar Powered Efficient Window Design	See Best Price

Below is a great video we’ve found for you showing the process to field strip your Springfield Kuna ready for cleaning. Check it out below.

Looking for more info on the Springfield Kuna? Or did you lose your manual? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Check out our link below:

• Springfield Kuna Manuals

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